Positioning system and method for arc welding consumables

ABSTRACT

A nozzle assembly for a welding torch, a welding torch that includes said nozzle assembly, and a method of using the welding torch is provided. The nozzle assembly generally comprises an insulator having a plurality of grooves around an outer periphery, a plurality of sealing members disposed within the grooves of the insulator; and a nozzle body slip-fit around the insulator, such that at least one of the insulator and the nozzle body define position indicia.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No.61/903,950, filed on Nov. 13, 2013, and provisional application Ser. No.62/053,784, filed on Sep. 22, 2014. The disclosures of the aboveapplications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to welding apparatuses, andmore particularly to arc welding apparatuses such as Metal Inert Gas(MIG) or Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) welding guns, includingconsumables for generating a welding arc and diffusing a shield gas.

BACKGROUND

The statements in this section merely provide background informationrelated to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

In an arc welding apparatus, such as Metal Inert Gas (MIG) or Gas MetalArc Welding (GMAW) welding gun, a welding wire is fed through thewelding gun to provide a molten metal pool to join metal work piecestogether. An inert gas is directed through the front (distal) end of thewelding gun to provide a surrounding layer or blanket of shielding gasto protect the molten metal pool from atmospheric contamination. Theinert gas is typically a combination of various gases such as argon orhelium, among others.

A prior art MIG or GMAW welding gun typically includes a contact tip anda gas diffuser connected to the contact tip. The contact tip has acentral bore to guide the welding wire to the work pieces. The contacttip transfers electrical current to the welding wire. The contact tip istypically threaded into the gas diffuser and the gas diffuser definesgas passageways that direct the shielding gas around the contact tip.The contact tip and gas diffuser are constantly subjected to high heatand are susceptible to wear due to high temperature operation. A nozzleassembly surrounds the contact tip and gas diffuser. The nozzle assemblyfurther directs the shielding gas towards the work pieces to blanket themolten metal pool.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure generally provides a nozzle assembly comprisingan insulator having a plurality of grooves around an outer periphery, aplurality of sealing members disposed within the grooves of theinsulator, and a nozzle body slip-fit around the insulator, such that atleast one of the insulator and the nozzle body define position indicia.In one form, the insulator has a scale along its outer periphery as theposition indicia. According to another form, the insulator defines aplurality of position rings disposed along its outer periphery as thescale. The plurality of position rings may comprise a light duty ring, amedium duty ring, and a heavy duty ring. The nozzle body may define atleast one window or aperture through which a scale can be viewed as theposition indicia.

The nozzle assembly may also be attached to a conductor tube thatincludes position indicia. The nozzle body may include a proximal endextension that allows alignment of the nozzle body with the positionindicia on the conductor tube in order to adjust the nozzle body so thatit is in a desired positional relationship with a contact tip.

The nozzle body may further comprise a distal end face and an exteriorsurface defining an index marking for measuring a trim distance for awelding liner. The distal end face abuts a portion of a conductor tube,and the welding liner extends distally from the portion of the conductortube, for the measuring of the welding liner to extend into a contacttip. A length between a distal end face of the conductor tube and theindex marking of the nozzle body defines the trim distance. The nozzlebody may also include a tapered end portion, such that the trim distanceis measured along the tapered end portion or perpendicular to the distalend face.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an arc weldingapparatus is provided. The arc welding apparatus comprises a handle, aconductor tube attached to the handle, and a consumable assemblyattached to the conductor tube. The consumable assembly comprises both acontact tip and the nozzle assembly as previously described above andfurther defined herein, wherein at least one of an insulator and anozzle body define position indicia.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure a method ofadjusting the positioning of a distal opening of a nozzle body with adistal end face of a contact tip in an arc welding apparatus isprovided. The method generally comprises providing an arc weldingapparatus as previously described above and further defined herein thatdefines position indicia and aligning a nozzle body with the positionindicia in order to adjust the positioning of a distal opening of thenozzle body with the distal end face of a contact tip. The nozzle bodyis aligned with the position indicia by locating the position indicia sothat it can be viewed through at least one window or aperture in thenozzle body.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. It should be understood that the description andspecific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and arenot intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now bedescribed various forms thereof, given by way of example, referencebeing made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an arc welding apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a consumable assembly and aconductor tube assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 3A is a side view of a conductor tube with a conduit liner and anozzle assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 3B is a side view of a conductor tube with a conduit liner andanother form of a nozzle assembly constructed in accordance with theteachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3C is a side view of a conductor tube illustrating the alignmentand a trim distance with an index marking in accordance with theteachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view of a consumable assembly and aconductor tube depicting a improper trim distance and jam of a weldingwire;

FIG. 4A is a side view of the conductor tube constructed in accordancewith the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4B is a side view of another form of the conductor tube constructedin accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of the conductor tube of FIG. 3A takenalong line C-C;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of another form of a conductor tubeconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a conductor tube assembly anda consumable assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 7A is a perspective cross-sectional view of a consumable assemblyconstructed according to the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7B is a perspective cross-sectional view of another form of aconsumable assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 7C is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of an nozzle insert anda tip of the consumable assembly of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 8 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a nozzle assemblyconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a nozzle bodyconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of a nozzle insert of a nozzleassembly constructed in accordance with the teachings of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 11 is a perspective of an insulator of a nozzle assemblyconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is an exploded side view of another form of a nozzle assembly, acontact tip, and a conductor tube assembly constructed in accordancewith the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13A is a perspective view of another form of an insulator bodyconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view of another form of an insulator bodyand nozzle insert constructed in accordance with the teachings of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 14A is a perspective view of the nozzle assembly of FIG. 12 furtherincluding a window and constructed in accordance with the teachings ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 14B is a side view of the nozzle assembly of FIG. 14A and theinsulator body of FIG. 13A;

FIG. 15 is a side view of one form of a nozzle body constructed toindicate specific operating parameters in accordance with the teachingsof the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a side view of another form of a nozzle body constructed toindicate other operating parameters and constructed in accordance withthe teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a top view of one form of a nozzle body, collar assembly andconductor tube assembly in accordance with the teachings of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 18A is a partial cross-sectional view of the nozzle body of FIG. 17in an initial position;

FIG. 18B is a partial cross-sectional view of the nozzle body of FIG. 17in a first position;

FIG. 18C is a partial cross-sectional view of the nozzle body of FIG. 17in a second position;

FIG. 18D is a partial cross-sectional view of the nozzle body of FIG. 17in a third position;

FIG. 19 is a side view of another form of a conductor tube assemblyhaving position indicia, a nozzle body constructed in accordance withthe teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 20 an exploded cross-sectional view of a slip-on nozzle assemblyconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 21 an exploded cross-sectional view of another form of a slip-onnozzle assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 22 is an exploded cross-sectional view of still another form of aslip-on nozzle assembly constructed in accordance with the teachings ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the slip-on nozzle assembly of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of several variations of nozzle assembliesand contact tips having matching indicia and constructed in accordancewith the teachings of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 25 is a schematic representation of a method of adjusting thepositioning of a distal opening of a nozzle body with a distal end faceof a contact tip in an arc welding apparatus in accordance with theteachings of the present disclosure.

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and arenot intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is notintended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. Itshould be understood that throughout the drawings, correspondingreference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.Although the term “MIG” and “GMAW” are used within the specification, itshould be understood that the teachings of the present disclosure applyto any type of welding or cutting apparatus.

Referring to FIG. 1, an arc welding apparatus, such as a MIG or GMAWwelding gun, is illustrated and generally indicated by reference numeral10. The MIG welding gun 10 includes a handle 12, a conductor tube 14attached to the handle 12, and a consumable assembly 16 attached to theconductor tube 14. The handle 12 is connected to a welding cable 18 thatcarries welding current, shielding gas, and a welding wire 20 from apower source (not shown), a gas source (not shown), and a wire feeder(not shown) to the welding gun 10.

The consumable assembly 16 includes a plurality of consumable componentsincluding a nozzle assembly 22 and a contact tip 24. The structure andoperation of an exemplary arc welding apparatus has been disclosed inU.S. Pat. Nos. 5,491,321 and 5,338,917, which are commonly owned by theassignee of the present application, and the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In addition, thestructure and operation of the arc welding apparatus 10 incorporating acontact tip that provides for the function as a contact tip and adiffuser has been disclosed in related U.S. Published Application No.2013/0126506, which is commonly owned by the assignee of the presentapplication, and the contents of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

Referring to FIG. 2, the consumable assembly 16 is connected to a distalend portion 26 of the conductor tube 14. A nozzle assembly 22 issubstantially cylindrical in one form and receives the distal endportion 26 of the conductor tube 14 therein. In one form, a contact tip46 is coaxially disposed inside the nozzle assembly 22, which has aseating surface 28 that is configured to mate with an end portion 30(which in one form is spherical as shown, but could be any shapeincluding a linear or polynomial taper) of the contact tip 24 into thedistal end portion 26 of the conductor tube 14.

In one form the nozzle assembly 22 is secured onto the distal end 26 ofthe conductor tube assembly 40, and the contact tip 24 engages theseating surface 28 of a nozzle insert 44. As the nozzle assembly 22 istightened onto the conductor tube assembly 40, the seating surface 28engages against the shoulder 46 of the contact tip 24, thereby urgingthe spherical tapered end 48 of the contact tip 24 into the sphericaltapered seat 50 of the conductor tube 14. The nozzle insert 44 tightensonto the conductor tube assembly 40 and the spherical tapered end 48 ofthe contact tip 24 is secured into engagement with the tapered seat 50.

The conductor tube 14 defines an internal passageway 52, and a conduitliner 54 is disposed within the internal passageway 52 as shown. Theconduit liner 54 has a guiding channel 56 for guiding the welding wire20 (not shown) to the contact tip 24. The conduit liner 54 may extendinto an internal cavity 58 of the contact tip 24. The positioning of theconduit liner 54 within the internal cavity 58 provides a continuousguiding channel 56 for directly feeding the welding wire into thecontact tip 24.

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, an alternate form of a nozzle assembly 900comprises a distal end face 902 and an exterior surface 904. Theexterior surface 904 of the nozzle assembly 900 defines an index marking906. The index marking 906 indicates a trim distance 908 to assist theuser for properly measuring the conduit liner 32 to a correct lengththat extends from the conductor tube 14. The user can measure the trimdistance 908 by abutting the distal end face 902 of the nozzle assembly900 against an end portion 914 of the conductor tube 14.

The nozzle assembly 900 in one form may include a tapered end portion912, and the index marking 906 may be positioned on this tapered endportion 912 of the nozzle assembly 900. The measurement of the trimdistance 908 may be measured perpendicular to the distal end face of theof the nozzle body, as shown in FIG. 3A. Alternatively, it iscontemplated the trim distance may be measured along the exteriorsurface 904 of the tapered end portion 912 of a nozzle body 918, asshown in FIG. 3B. The index marking 906 in one form is a grooveextending around the exterior surface of the nozzle assembly 900. Itshould be understood, however, that various markings or indicia may beemployed while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure.Such indicia may include, by way of example, knurling bands,intermittent circumferential markings, or color, among others.

Referring to FIG. 3C, in operation, when measuring the trim distance,the user abuts the distal end face 902 of the nozzle body 918 to the endportion 914 of the conductor tube 14 as shown. The user is then able toquickly line up and trim the conduit liner 32 with the index marking 906for the correct trim distance 908, which then extends into the internalcavity 118 of the contact tip 46 (shown in FIG. 2).

Proper positioning of the conduit liner 32 within the contact tip 24, or“stick-out” relative to the distal end portion 26 of the conductor tube14, is a factor for the correct operation of the welding torch 10. Theconduit liner 32 directs the welding wire 20 through the welding cable18, torch 10, conductor tube 14 and into the contact tip 23. The correcttrim distance 908 reduces the likelihood of jams, hang-ups or“birdnesting” of the welding wire 20 within the torch. For example,referring to FIG. 3D, if the trim distance is too short, a gap 234between the conduit liner 32 and the contact tip 24 may be large enoughthat the welding wire 20 may be unsupported, causing the wire tosporadically wobble or become jammed 232 before entering an orifice 236of the contact tip 24. In one form, the proper trim distance is ⅜inches, which is based on a torch having an amperage rating betweenapproximately 140 to 600 Amps and a specific geometry of the internalcavity 58 of the contact tip 24. It should be understood that ⅜ inchesis merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the scope ofthe present disclosure.

Additional aspects of the location and features of the conduit liner 32within the internal cavity 58 of the contact tip 24 has been disclosedin U.S. Published Application No. 2013/0126504 A1, which is commonlyowned by the assignee of the present application, and the contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Referring to FIGS. 4A-4C, the conductor tube 14 can define a variety ofgeometries, and, a curved geometry of various degrees is used dependingon the application requirements. The conductor tube 14 alternativelycould be straight or flexible and configurable as has been disclosed inU.S. Published Application No. 2007/0284354, which is commonly owned bythe assignee of the present application, and the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The conductor tubeassembly 40 extends a length between its distal end 41 and its proximalend 51. The proximal end 51 is adapted to be secured to the handle 12 ofthe welding gun 10, and the distal end 41 of the conductor tube 14 isadapted to receive the consumable assembly 16 (as shown in FIG. 1).

The distal end 41 of the conductor tube 14 provides unique features toallow for an efficient and robust connection with the consumableassembly 16, the nozzle assembly 22, and the contact tip 24. Forexample, in one form, the distal end 41 has an outer surface 49 thatincludes two opposing flat faces 59, that allows for an anti-rotationalengagement with a sleeve (not shown). Additionally, in another form, thedistal end 41 has a threaded opening 62 through at least one of the flatfaces 59 for securing the sleeve.

The conductor tube 14 is typically made from a copper alloy or othermetal that has conductive properties and then is coated with aninsulation material 64, which in one form may be silicone, and finallycovered with a tube jacket 66 to provide durability and additionalinsulation from the electric current, which flows through the conductortube 14 during operation of the welding gun 10. The tube jacket 66 byway of example may be made from a brass or stainless steel metal oralloy in one form of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 5, the conductor tube 14 is a hollow member definingthe internal passageway 52. The internal passageway 52 includes atailored cavity 70. The tailored cavity 70 is shaped to receive analignment device (not shown in this figure), which in one form ispress-fit therein. In addition, the internal passageway 52 at the distalend 72 includes a spherical tapered seat 50 forming a contact surfacethat engages with the contact tip 24.

FIG. 6 summarizes and illustrates components of the conductor tubeassembly 40 and the consumable assembly 16. The consumable assembly 16includes the nozzle assembly 22 and the contact tip 24. The consumableassembly 16 is secured to the distal end 41 of the conductor tube 14 viathe sleeve 60, and the collar assembly 50 pretensions the consumableassembly 16 to the conductor tube assembly 40 as previously set forth.

The contact tip 24 has a body that defines an internal cavity extendingfrom its proximal end portion to its distal end portion. Advantageously,the contact tip 24 is designed to function as both a contact tip fortransferring electric current to the welding wire and a gas diffuser fordiffusing shielding gas around the molten metal pool, thus providing adual function while eliminating an additional component (i.e., aseparate gas diffuser) from the consumable assembly 16.

Referring to FIGS. 7A-7C and 8-11, the nozzle assembly 22 includes anozzle body 68 that is in one form generally cylindrical, an insulator74, and a nozzle insert 44. As shown, the outer nozzle 68 extends from aproximal opening 78 to a distal opening 80. The nozzle body 68 mayfurther include a nose portion 82 that narrows or extends inwardly toproperly direct the shielding gas for a given application in relation tomaintain the desired space 84 (FIG. 7A) for the contact tip 24. Thenozzle insert 44 has a proximal end portion 86 and a distal end portion88 and includes a central bore 90 extending from the proximal endportion 86 towards the distal end portion 88. The nozzle insert 44 atits distal end portion 88 defines an internal gas diverter 92. Theinternal gas diverter 92 further defines a seating surface 28 toward theproximal end portion of the nozzle insert 44. The seating surface 28 ischamfered in one form, for engaging the angled shoulder 46 of thecontact tip 24. The internal gas diverter 92 defines a profiled diverterorifice 94 that extends distally from the central bore 90.

As shown in FIG. 7C, the profiled diverter orifice 94 extends around theapertures 96 of the contact tip 24. The gas flow, indicated by the patharrows 167, is directed distally through the internal cavity 58, andthen radially outwards through the apertures 96. The profiled diverterorifice 94 then directs the gas flow exiting the apertures 96 distallyaround an exterior portion of the contact tip 24 as shown. The profileddiverter orifice 94 may extend various lengths from the contact seat 28(as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B) and include a variety of geometries, inaddition to the chamfered configurations as illustrated herein. Inaddition, the profiled diverter orifice 94 may extend at any angle thatwill change the direction of the shield gas to improve the flowcharacteristics or cooling of the contact tip 24 and surrounding nozzleassembly 22. For example, to generate a laminar flow along the length ofthe contact tip 24.

The nozzle insert 44 may be manufactured by various methods includingmachining or a metal injection molding process, also known as MIM. Inaddition, the nozzle insert may be made from various metals and alloys,for example, in one form the nozzle insert 44 is made of brass.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a nozzle assembly isprovided that comprises an insulator having a plurality of groovesaround an outer periphery. The insulator has a plurality of sealingmembers disposed within the grooves of the insulator, and a nozzle bodyslip-fit around the insulator.

Referring now to FIGS. 12, 13A and 13B, in another form, the nozzleassembly includes a nozzle body 68 that is slip-fit around an insulator74. As shown in FIG. 12, the insulator 74 and a nozzle insert 44 definean assembly and are secured to the sleeve 60 on the conductor tubeassembly 40. In one form, the insulator 74 is secured around the nozzleinsert 44. As further shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, the insulator 74includes a plurality of grooves 102 around its outer periphery. Thegrooves 102 are used for locating and seating sealing members 180, whichprovide a sealing engagement between the nozzle body 68 and theinsulator 74. In one form, the sealing members 104 are spring rings thatare located within the grooves 102. Although the insulator 74 isillustrated with three (3) grooves 102, it should be understood that agreater or fewer number may be used depending on the application and thelength of the nozzle body 68, among other operating parameters.

The insulator 74 may further include various features on its exteriorsurface to allow for positioning the insulator 74 without the use of anytools. The insulator 74 may further include a tail portion 250 havingposition indicia 260, such as scale lines 265 along the outer periphery,as shown by way of example, for properly positioning the nozzle body 68over the insulator 74. In one form, the indicia 260 is a plurality ofposition rings 270 disposed around the outer periphery of the insulator74 as shown. The position rings 270 or indicia 260 may be used toprovide information to the user regarding the proper positioning of thenozzle body for the welding application, rated duty cycle and/orapplication of the nozzle assembly 22. The position rings 270 or indicia260 may assist a user in determining a nozzle distance 275, as will bediscussed below in further detail.

The insulator may also include exterior features that assist withgripping the insulator 74 for tightening and removing the insulator fromthe conductor tube assembly 40. In one example the exterior features mayinclude a series of grooves 280 extend along the exterior surface, butif would be appreciated that various surface texturing may provide animproved gripping surface.

Referring to FIGS. 14A and 14B, the indicia 260, in another form, allowsthe user to align the nozzle body 68 with the position indicia 260 foradjusting and positioning the distal opening 80 of the nozzle body 68relative the distal end face of the contact tip 24. The nozzle body 68includes a window 290 for viewing the indicia 260 to locate the properposition of the nozzle body 68. In other forms, the window 290 may beany aperture through the nozzle body 68, and there may be one ornumerous windows spaced around the nozzle body 68.

Referring back to FIGS. 15 and 16, the nozzle body 68 may furtherinclude an external surface pattern 272 to provide an improved grip forsecuring, positioning and removing the nozzle assembly 22. In one form,the nozzle body 68 the surface pattern 272 is formed by knurling. Thenozzle body 68 may also include exterior surface markings to indicatethe rated duty cycle or application of the nozzle assembly 22. In oneexample, the exterior markings define a ring 274 around the nozzle body68, where no ring is used to indicate a light duty application, one ringis used to indicate a medium duty application and two rings are used toindicate a heavy duty application. However, it should be appreciatedthat any indicia and/or surface patterns may be used to indicate therated duty cycle and/or application of the nozzle assembly 22. However,it should be appreciated that any indicia and/or surface patterns may beused to indicate the rated duty cycle and/or application of the nozzleassembly 22.

Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18A to 18D, another form of the indicia 260 ison the collar body 65 for allowing a nozzle distance 275 to be set byaligning the proximal opening 78 of the nozzle body 68 with the desirednozzle distance 275. In one form there is an initial position and threeadditional positions for setting the nozzle distance 275. As shown inFIG. 18A, an initial exemplary position where the distal end face 26 ofthe contact tip 24 is recessed within the nozzle body 68 to the nozzledistance 275 of approximately ¼ inches. Referring to FIG. 18B, anexample of a first position is shown with the distal end face 26 of thecontact tip is recessed within the nozzle body 68 to the nozzle distance275 of approximately ⅛ inches. As shown in FIG. 18C, an example of asecond position is shown and in this form, the distal end face 26 of thecontact tip 24 is flush with the distal opening 80 of the nozzle body174. Referring to FIG. 18D, another example of a third position is shownwith the distal end face 26 of the contact tip 24 protruding beyond thedistal opening a nozzle distance of approximately ⅛ inches. Therefore,the indicia 260 on the collar body 65 is used to allow the user toquickly adjust the nozzle position without having to perform any manualmeasurements between the distal opening 80 of the nozzle body 68 and thedistal end face 26 of the contact tip 24. It should be understood thatthe specific dimensions of ¼ and ⅛ inches are merely exemplary andshould not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 19, the position indicia 260 maybe on the conductor tube 14, and the nozzle body 68 includes a proximalextension 218 that extends beyond the collar assembly (not shown). Theproximal extension 218 of the nozzle body 68 allows the user to align aproximal edge 78 of the nozzle body with the indicia 260 on theconductor tube 14 for adjusting the nozzle body 68 into the desiredpositional relationship with the contact tip.

The position indicia 260 can be various scales to allow for quickadjustment to the location of the nozzle body 68 for variousapplications and a nozzle distance between distal opening 80 of thenozzle body 68 and the distal end face 26 of the contact tip 24.

The consumable components are typically, rated to a duty cycle. The dutycycle is usually determined by the duration of the weld operation andthe amperage used during continuous operation of the welding gun. Forexample, a light duty application may be considered to be those weldingoperations that are rated and use approximately 250 amperes and below. Amedium duty application may be considered to be welding operations witha range from approximately 250 amperes to approximately 350 amperes, anda heavy duty application is generally 350 amperes and above.

Referring to FIG. 20, in one form, a nozzle assembly 200 for a lightduty application. The nozzle assembly 200 comprises a nozzle body 202and an insulator 204. The insulator 204 may be over molded onto thenozzle body 202. As further shown, the insulator 204 defines an internalbore 206 having a plurality of detents 208 at a proximal end portion207. The detents 208 are a series of grooves that are spaced along theinternal bore 206 to progressively engage sealing members 216. The usercan adjust the relative position of the nozzle with the distal end ofthe contact tip 24 depending on the engagement between the detents 208and the sealing members 216.

The insulator, whether a plastic material or other insulator, has a highstrength, hardness and rigidity to provide for durability of the nozzlebody 202 and the detents 208. For example, the over molded insulator 204may be made from a thermoset polyester, such as BMC 6605. However, it isappreciated that the insulator 204 may be any insulating material thatcan withstand the amperage for the duty cycle of the weldingapplication.

Referring to FIG. 21, another form of a nozzle assembly 300 for a lightduty application is shown. The nozzle assembly 300 comprises a nozzlebody 302, an insulator 304, and a nozzle sleeve 306. In this form, thenozzle assembly 300 is assembled together by a crimping process tosecure the insulator 304 and the nozzle sleeve 309 within the nozzlebody 302. The nozzle sleeve 309 defines an internal bore 306 of thenozzle body 302. The internal bore 306 further defines a plurality ofdetents 308 at a proximal end portion 307. The nozzle sleeve 309 may bea made of various materials including metals such as a copper alloy,brass alloy, or alternately plastic materials. Other materials may beused as long as the material and withstand the heat of the applicationand the amperage needed for the specific welding application. Forexample, in a light duty application is generally between 250 to 350Amperes.

An insert assembly 210, in one form, is the same for both forms of thenozzle body 200, 300 of the light duty applications. The insert assembly210 has a proximal exterior surface 212 with a plurality of groove 214,and a plurality of spring bands 216. The spring bands in this form aresplit ring metal seals that provide an outward bias and engage into thedetents to provide a user with a haptic feedback on the position of thenozzle assembly. The spring bands also provide a bias force to securethe nozzle assembly 200, 300 to the insert assembly 210. The insertassembly 210 is threaded onto the conductor tube (not shown) and securesthe contact tip 24 to the conductor tube (not shown). The insertassembly 210 for the light duty applications has two grooves 214 eachfor retaining a spring band 216. The nozzle bodies 200, 300 define threedetents 216 that secure the nozzle body 200, 300 in three positionsrelative to a distal opening of the nozzle body and the contact tip. Thenozzle body slides and locks the detents into positions relative to thecontact tip for adjusting the flow characteristics of the shield gas toaccommodate a wide variety of welding parameters and user preferences.

Referring now to FIGS. 22 and 23, another form of the nozzle assemblyfor medium and heavy duty applications is described. The nozzle assemblymay be scaled and sized to accommodate a variety of diameters of weldingwire and consumables components. It is also appreciated that thematerials may vary depending on the duty cycle and the amperage rating.In this form, the nozzle assembly 400 includes a nozzle body 402. Thenozzle body 402 may be a singular metal component, typically a copperalloy, but may be formed of various other metals and alloys, among othertemperature and durability capable materials, while remaining within thescope of the present disclosure. The nozzle body 402 has an internalbore 406 with a plurality of detents 408 within a portion 407 of theinternal bore 406.

The medium and heavy duty applications may also include in an alternateform an insert assembly 410 that includes a nozzle insert 418, insulator420 and a slip adapter 420, which are secured together in one form by acrimping process. However, it should be understood that variousprocesses may be used to secure the components of the insert assembly410 while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. The slipadapter 422 defines a proximal exterior surface 412 with a plurality ofgrooves 414, and a plurality of spring bands 416. The spring bands 416in this form include a split spring ring, as in the previous forms and aspring metal band 424. The grooves 414 may vary in width to accommodatethe spring band 416. And the spring bands 416 may be customized, such asby way of example, a metal band 424 that defines circumferentiallyspaced protrusions 426. The metal band provide the biased outward forceand the protrusions 426 are designed to engage within the plurality ofdetents 408 of the internal bore 406 of the nozzle body 402. Duringadjusting of the nozzle body 402 the protrusions 426 provide tactilefeedback and assist the user with locating the nozzle body 402 at thedesired location relative to the distal end of the contact tip (notshown).

In FIG. 24, various forms of consumable assemblies having a nozzle body802, 802′, 802″ and a contact tip 846, 846′, 846″ are shown. Both thenozzle body 802, 802′, 802″ and the contact tip 846, 846′, 846″ defineexterior surfaces having matching indicia 800, 800′, 800″ to assist withidentifying the correct pairing of the nozzle body 802, 802′, 802″ withthe contact tip 846, 846′, 846″. The matching indicia 800 may correspondto a duty rating for pairing the nozzle body 802 with the contact tip846.

For example, the matching indicia 800 may be a series of grooves on theexterior surfaces 804, as shown. Generally, the number of groovesincreases as the duty rating increases or may be selected for pairingthe contact tip and nozzle body for a specific application. For example,one (1) set groove on each of the nozzle body and contact tip indicatesa light duty application. Two (2) sets of grooves indicates a mediumduty application, and three (3) sets of grooves indicates a heavy dutyapplication. In one form, the number of grooves is four (4) to indicatethe nozzle body 802″ and contact tip 846″ for a specific duty cycle andtapered application. It is further contemplated that the exteriorsurface of the nozzle may alternately define various indicia that areeasily matched with corresponding indicia on the contact tip, ratherthan the matching bands as illustrated herein. In another form, thenozzle body 802 may include a series of knurl bands that are matchedwith a series of grooves on the exterior surface of the contact tip. Thegrooves may further be defined as any raised or recessed surfacetexture, knurling or raised bands that provide visual indication orindicia to the exterior surface of the consumable component.Accordingly, the use of grooves is merely exemplary and should not beconstrued as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method ofadjusting the positioning of a distal opening of a nozzle body with adistal end face of a contact tip in an arc welding apparatus isprovided. Referring to FIG. 25, the method 1000 generally provides 1005an arc welding apparatus constructed according to the present disclosurethat has a handle, a conductor tube attached to the handle; and aconsumable assembly attached to the conductor tube; the consumableassembly including a contact tip and a nozzle assembly. The nozzleassembly comprises an insulator with a plurality of grooves around anouter periphery, a plurality of sealing members disposed within thegrooves of the insulator; and a nozzle body slip-fit around theinsulator, such that the insulator defines position indicia. The nozzlebody is aligned 1010 with the position indicia in order to adjust thepositioning of the distal opening of the nozzle body with the distal endface of the contact tip. The alignment of the nozzle body with theposition indicia involves locating the position indicia so that it canbe viewed through at least one window or aperture in the nozzle body.

The various forms of the present disclosure provide a simplifiedstructure, more uniform heat distribution and improved cooling toincrease consumable life, among other benefits. The various forms of thepresent disclosure further provide additional adjustments to a nozzleassembly, thereby allowing a consumable assembly to be adaptable for awider variety of applications.

What is claimed is:
 1. A nozzle assembly comprising: an insulator havinga plurality of grooves around an outer periphery; a plurality of sealingmembers disposed within the grooves of the insulator; and a nozzle bodyslip-fit around the insulator: wherein at least one of the insulator andthe nozzle body define a position indicia.
 2. The nozzle assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein the insulator has a scale along its outerperiphery as the position indicia.
 3. The nozzle assembly according toclaim 2, wherein the insulator defines a plurality of position ringsdisposed along its outer periphery as the scale.
 4. The nozzle assemblyaccording to claim 3, wherein the plurality of position rings comprisesa light duty ring, a medium duty ring, and a heavy duty ring.
 5. Thenozzle assembly according to claim 2, wherein the nozzle body defines atleast one window or aperture through which a scale can be viewed as theposition indicia.
 6. The nozzle assembly according to claim 1, whereinthe nozzle assembly is attached to a conductor tube that includesposition indicia.
 7. The nozzle assembly according to claim 6, whereinthe nozzle body includes a proximal end extension that allows alignmentof the nozzle body with the position indicia on the conductor tube inorder to adjust the nozzle body so that it is in a desired positionalrelationship with a contact tip.
 8. The nozzle assembly of claim 1,wherein the nozzle body further comprises a distal end face and anexterior surface defining an index marking for measuring a trim distancefor a welding liner; wherein the distal end face abuts a portion of aconductor tube, and the welding liner extends distally from the portionof the conductor tube, for the measuring of the welding liner to extendinto a contact tip.
 9. The nozzle assembly of claim 8, wherein a lengthbetween a distal end face of the conductor tube and the index marking ofthe nozzle body defines the trim distance.
 10. The nozzle assembly ofclaim 9, wherein the nozzle body defines a tapered end portion.
 11. Thenozzle assembly of claim 10, wherein the nozzle body defines the trimdistance measured along the tapered end portion.
 12. The nozzle assemblyof claim 10, wherein the nozzle body defines the trim distance ismeasured perpendicular to the distal end face.
 13. An arc weldingapparatus, the arc welding apparatus comprising: a handle; a conductortube attached to the handle; and a consumable assembly attached to theconductor tube; the consumable assembly comprising a contact tip and anozzle assembly; wherein the nozzle assembly comprises: an insulatorhaving a plurality of grooves around an outer periphery; a plurality ofsealing members disposed within the grooves of the insulator; and anozzle body slip-fit around the insulator: wherein at least one of theinsulator and the nozzle body define a position indicia.
 14. The weldingapparatus according to claim 13, wherein the insulator has a scale alongits outer periphery as the position indicia.
 15. The welding apparatusaccording to claim 14, wherein the insulator defines a plurality ofposition rings disposed along its outer periphery as the scale.
 16. Thewelding apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the position ringscomprise a light duty ring, a medium duty ring, and a heavy duty ring.17. The welding apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the nozzle bodydefines at least one window or aperture through which a scale can beviewed as the position indicia.
 18. The welding apparatus according toclaim 13, wherein the position indicia is also disposed on the conductortube.
 19. The welding apparatus according to claim 18, wherein thenozzle body includes a proximal end extension that allows alignment ofthe nozzle body with the position indicia on the conductor tube in orderto adjust the nozzle body so that it is in a desired positionalrelationship with t contact tip.
 20. A method adjusting the positioningof a distal opening of a nozzle body with a distal end face of a contacttip in an arc welding apparatus; the method comprising: providing an arcwelding apparatus comprising a handle; a conductor tube attached to thehandle; and a consumable assembly attached to the conductor tube; theconsumable assembly comprising a contact tip and a nozzle assembly;wherein the nozzle assembly comprises: an insulator having a pluralityof grooves around an outer periphery; a plurality of sealing membersdisposed within the grooves of the insulator; and a nozzle body slip-fitaround the insulator: wherein the insulator defines a position indicia;and aligning the nozzle body with the position indicia in order toadjust the positioning of the distal opening of the nozzle body with thedistal end face of the contact tip.
 21. The method of claim 20, whereinaligning the nozzle body with the position indicia involves locating theposition indicia so it can be viewed through at least one window oraperture in the nozzle body.